NUGGETS

The Nuggets flirted with the postseason for the first time in four years. But do they have enough to contend in the West?

As he slid his back down a brick wall inside the Pepsi Center, lowering his 6-foot-10 frame to the eye level of the normal-sized humans around him, Nikola Jokic spoke his truth about the Nuggets' failed attempt to end a postseason drought that is now at four years.

"I think the playoffs was too much pressure for us," Jokic said. "Every game was like, 'Oh, if we lose this, we're not going to make the playoffs.' We just need to play the game, play basketball."

Pressure from the outside will only increase next season, of course. Nuggets fans are starved for a winner. Denver has failed to produce a winning season — or make it to the playoffs — since the 57-win team from 2012-13 capped a run of 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

The Nuggets have been unable to crack through a Western Conference that has only grown more fierce in the last five years, with its stalwarts showing few signs of falling off. Of the eight teams in the Western Conference playoff field this season, only one (Utah) hasn't made the playoffs at least four times in the past five years. Five of the eight teams have made the playoffs at least five consecutive seasons.

The Nuggets insist that a seven-win jump from the previous season, to a 40-42 record, as well as a rising core of talented players under 23 years old and the experience gained from this season's postseason chase provide optimism that Denver will soon be a regular visitor to the postseason.

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"For us to make the run we did with all the injuries we had, all the young players who played, I think is remarkable," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "Moving forward, I'm really excited about this upcoming offseason. We improved."

But there are clear weaknesses the Nuggets have to address. Awful defense eroded much of the improvement the Nuggets made as a potent, ball-sharing offense that centered on Jokic.

Denver struggled in every fashion on defense, unable to reduce the penetration of opposing guards and often proving powerless to protect the rim.

"We started playing better later in the season, but the defense is something we all need to improve on, individually and as a team," point guard Emmanuel Mudiay said. "We let a lot of close games go."

Establishing greater consistency in clutch situations also is paramount if the Nuggets hope to make any real noise next season. They were 5-10 in one possession games and lost eight games they led entering the fourth quarter.

The question is whether the Nuggets can make a big enough improvement with the players on their roster to heal their deficiencies and make it to the playoffs.

Here is a position-by-position look at where the Nuggets stand as their offseason begins.

Guards

Currently with a guaranteed contract for the 2017-18 season (dead cap figure for next season from Sportrac in parentheses):

• Jameer Nelson ($4.7 million)

• Will Barton ($3.5M)

• Emmanuel Mudiay ($3.4M)

• Jamal Murray ($3.4M)

• Gary Harris ($2.5M)

• Malik Beasley ($1.7M)

Developing a pecking order at the guard positions heading into next season is imperative. Harris had a breakout season after an uneven start to his NBA career, growing into a dependable outside shooter. His 42 percent shooting clip from 3-point range ranked 10th in the NBA, and he become a dependable finisher off cuts and in transition.

Though Barton had an up-and-down season in which he dealt with various injuries, including a foot ailment that cost him the last seven games, he has proven to be an effective scorer off the bench and is on a team-friendly contract.

Real intrigue exists at the point guard position. Murray, who spent the first half of the season at shooting guard, became the backup point when Mudiay went down in January and ultimately started nine games at the position. Mudiay worked through his injury and then a demotion to third-string point guard to play well at the end of the season. He said he is dedicated to reclaiming his starting point guard job, which he held for the first 1K seasons of his career.

If the Nuggets trust Mudiay and Murray to run the point, what does that mean for the veteran Nelson? And is there a place for Beasley? These are questions the Nuggets will have to answer about their backcourt.

Forwards

Currently under guaranteed contract for the 2017-18 season (dead cap figure for next season from Sportrac in parentheses):

• Kenneth Faried ($12.9M)

• Wilson Chandler ($12M)

• Darrell Arthur ($7.5M)

• Juancho Hernangomez ($2.1M)

Potential free agent:

• Danilo Gallinari ($16.1M player option)

Much of what the Nuggets do with their frontcourt depends on what happens with Gallinari, who is likely to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. The Nuggets will have a good pitch for the 6-foot-10 small forward, who has professed his affinity for Denver as a city, but he is also likely to be pursued by teams in need of a scorer at that position.

Faried, Chandler and Arthur all dealt with injuries this past season and saw their roles morph as each player missed at least 11 games. Developing and communicating a pecking order for this group will be an important task for Malone heading into next season. Improved health out of the group would also help. Chandler, who averaged career highs in scoring (15.7 points per game) and rebounding (6.5), could be asked to accept an even larger role if Gallinari lands with another team.

Centers

Currently under guaranteed contract for the 2017-18 season (dead cap figure for next season from Sportrac in parentheses):

• Nikola Jokic ($1.4M)

Free agent:

• Mason Plumlee, restricted

The Nuggets will pursue a deal with Plumlee, who joined the team in mid-February in the trade that sent Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round draft pick to Portland. Plumlee said after the Nuggets' season finale in Oklahoma City that there is a lot to like about playing in Denver.

"It's an exciting style of play, an exciting group," he said. "It's a young core that I think can grow together. It's something that's very attractive. We wanted to make the playoffs and we didn't do it this year. That's got to be the mind-set next year."

Perhaps the greatest sigh of relief for the Nuggets as they construct a plan for the 2017-18 season is they know they will run things through Jokic, the rising star who gained the NBA's attention this season. That's one luxury the Nuggets didn't have when they began the building process last summer.

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